New NCL ship to sail out of Miami

Jason · October 4, 2012

The second of two new Norwegian Cruise Line ships on order will sail year-round out of Miami when it debuts in 2014.

The 4,000-passenger Norwegian Getaway will operate seven-night voyages to the Eastern Caribbean that include stops in Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St.Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas, the line announced today.

The ship becomes the largest to home port year-round in Miami.

Norwegian also announced the Norwegian Getaway would debut in January 2014 -- three months ahead of schedule. Following inaugural events in Europe, the vessel will sail a trans-Atlantic voyage from Rotterdam, The Netherlands to Miami that kicks off on Jan. 16, 2014 and includes a stop in Southampton, England.

The Norwegian Getaway's first seven-night Eastern Caribbean voyage will begin on Feb. 1, 2014. To accommodate its earlier-than-expected arrival in Miami, Norwegian says it is modifying the early 2014 itineraries of three other Miami-based ships. Starting on Feb. 2, 2014, Norwegian Epic will depart Miami on Sundays and sail a seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary with stops in Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. Norwegian Sun will depart Miami on 10- and 11-day Southern Caribbean itineraries a day later than scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays. Norwegian Pearl, which had been scheduled to depart Miami on Sundays, will be chartered from Jan. 19 to March 21, 2014. In addition, four new seven-day Western Caribbean itineraries will be added to the Norwegian Pearl's schedule on March 21, March 28, April 4 and April 11, 2014.

Norwegian says it will begin taking bookings for the Norwegian Getaway on Oct. 22.

Currently under construction at a shipyard in Germany, the Norwegian Getaway is a sister to the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway, which debuts early next year. The two vessels were named by USA TODAY readers last year in a contest held here at USA TODAY's Cruise site. They're Norwegian's first new vessels since 2010.

By Gene Sloan, USA Today

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